hat he works at picking slate, in Burnham's own
breaker, and lives with one Bachelor Billy, a simple-minded old
fellow, without a family, who took the boy in when he was abandoned by
the circus."

"Good!" exclaimed the lawyer; "good! we shall have a capital case. But
wait; does Mrs. Burnham know of your interview with her husband, or
about this paper?"

"I don't know. I left the man at his office, alone."

"At what hour?"

"Well, about half-past four, as nearly as I can judge."

"Then it's not at all probable that she knows. He went from his office
directly to the breaker, and died before she could see him."

"Well, how shall we begin?" said Craft, impatiently. "What's the first
thing to be done?" Visions of golden thousands were already floating
before his greedy eyes.

"We shall not begin at all, just yet," said Sharpman. "We'll wait till
the horror and excitement, consequent upon this disaster, have passed
away. It wouldn't do to proceed now; besides, all action should be
postponed, at any rate, until an inventory of the estate shall have
been filed."

A look of disappointment came into old Simon's face. The lawyer
noticed it. "You mustn't be in too much of a hurry," he said. "All
good things come slowly. Now, I'll tell you what I propose to do.
After this excitement has passed over, and the lady's mind has become
somewhat settled, I will go to her myself, and say to her frankly that
you believe her son to be still alive. Of course, she'll not believe
me. Indeed, I shall be very careful to put the matter in such a shape
that she will not believe me. I will say to her, however, that you
have employed me to prosecute your claim for services to the child,
and that it will be necessary to have a guardian appointed against
whom such action may be taken. I will suggest to her that if she will
acknowledge the boy to be her son, she will be the proper person to
act as his guardian. Of course, she will refuse to do either. The rest
is easy. We will go into court with a petition setting forth the facts
in the case, stating that the boy's mother has refused to act as his
guardian, and asking for your appointment as such. Do you see?"

"Oh, yes! that's good; that's very good, indeed."

"But, let me see, though; you'll have to give bonds. There's the
trouble. Got any money, or any rich friends?"

"Neither; I'm very poor, very poor indeed, Mr. Sharpman."

"Ah! that's awkward. We can do nothing without bondsmen. The